It blends written text, Braille, astronomical images and embossed textures to recreate stars, galaxies and other cosmic objects as observed through some of the world's most advanced telescopes.

Unlike her four other astronomy books - on the universe, the Sun, Moon phases and Hubble Space Telescope images - her new book takes on an aspect of the universe that can't be actually seen directly by anyone.

"It totally levels the playing field," Grice says. "Most of the light in the universe is not visible to our eyes."

So it makes no difference whether you represent celestial scenes made by x-rays, infrared or ultraviolet light as a false-colour photograph or in a tactile way.

A book everyone can learn from

Grice's new book chooses both visual and tactile representations for its 28 images so that both sighted and blind readers can learn from the same book.

The tactile images use specially chosen textures and keys to help blind readers to interpret the images. Every image is also vetted by students at the Colorado School for the Blind to make sure that they actually work.

Grice developed the idea of making astronomy books for the blind 24 years ago while working as an intern in the planetarium at the Boston Museum of Science.

There she was brought face to face with the inadequacies of astronomy education when she asked a group of blind visitors how they liked the planetarium show.

"There was this uncomfortable pause and they said 'It stunk,' and walked away," Grice says.

The key to the success of Grice's books is that she collaborates with both astronomers and blind students before publishing.

That's a degree of care that hasn't always been achieved by some other publications for the blind, said Mark Riccobono, executive director of the National Federation of the Blind.

Riccobono also points out that it would be a mistake to think the book is only for the blind.

"Frankly, there are many kids who aren't blind who are not primarily visual learners," Riccobono says.

"How do we know that sighted students won't get a deeper understanding from touching the pictures?"